Menarek Stamped Concrete

We are responding to complaint id# [redacted] from [redacted] and [redacted] Today, August 22, 2014, we repaired and resealed all spots in question Thank you, [redacted] Menarek Stamped Concrete ###-###-####

Complaint #***
Wisconsin winters and salt are very hard on concrete surfacesConcrete is made from materials that come out of the earthThere are variables that are out of our controlWe are willing to stop out again to see if we can patch some areas in questionPlease call and make an appointmentWe will come over again
Thank you, *** *** *** *** Menarek Stamped Concrete

September 3,
This is in response to complaint ID#***We did go look at Mr***'s jobThe concrete looks fine and the retaining wall is leaning because the homeowner assured us that when we finished the retaining wall, he would put gravel and drain tile behind itHe never
did
So it went through a winter with freezing dirt, water and feet of snow pushing on the wall from the back sideThat is why the wall is leaningWe did our job correctly
Thank you, *** *** *** *** Menarek Stamped Concrete

We wanted to let the Revdex.com know that on August 12,2015, we lightened the concrete area in question per the homeowner's request. Mr*** was there and aware of what we were doing

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to comp[redacted]t ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

We are responding to complaint id# [redacted] from [redacted] and [redacted].
Today, August 22, 2014, we repaired and resealed all spots in question.
Thank you, [redacted] Menarek Stamped Concrete
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Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The issue of the concrete was not addressed.   I understand that Menarek is only as good as the product they get from the concrete manufacturer.  But that should be addressed.  This is not the first time this company has had issues with a bad batch of concrete.  We have not issue with their workmanship, just the product.
Regards,
[redacted]

Mr. [redacted] and the Revdex.com,
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees on color of regular concrete. Mr. [redacted] did not hire us to do colored concrete nor did he pay for colored concrete. All concrete has variations to the color. Mr. [redacted]’s concrete is not out of the ordinary. Even if he hires someone to...

remove the steps and pour them again, there will be no guarantees on the color. We are sorry, but there is nothing we can do.
Thank you,
[redacted]
Menarek Stamped Concrete

Review: In August of 2011 I had stamped concrete installed in my backyard by [redacted] Stamped Concrete. That fall I had noticed pop-outs in the concrete. In June of 2013 I visited [redacted] Stamped Concrete and gave them pictures of my concrete which was now crumbling. [redacted], the [redacted], said they would send someone to look at the problem. On July 16, 2013 I called to find out what was being done about the concrete. [redacted] said she would talk to the owners. On July 22, 2013, [redacted] called me to let me know that no one from [redacted] would be coming to look at the job. [redacted] Stamped Concrete was contacting their concrete supplier. [redacted] wanted the supplier to provide some reimbursement to cover costs that would be related to the repair. I called again on September 13, 2013. [redacted] stated that she could not tell me when the concrete would be fixed. I caled again on November 12, 2013, and left a message. No response or resolution was given.Desired Settlement: I want [redacted] Stamped Concrete to remove and haul the crumbling concrete and replace all sections.

Business

Response:

May 19, 2014

This letter is in response to ID:[redacted] from [redacted].

We understand that Mrs. [redacted] is not happy with the way her concrete looks. Unfortunately Wisconsin winters and ice melting chemicals are very hard on concrete surfaces.

We use high quality materials and we have a high quality installation procedure. After the last few winters, we believe that something out of our control caused the surface to look the way it does now.

Sorry, but there is nothing we can do at this time.

Thanks,

[redacted] and [redacted]

Business

Response:

May 29, 2014

Response to [redacted], ID#[redacted] At this time, there is nothing that can be done for free to resolve Mrs. [redacted]'s concerns about her concrete.

Thank you,

[redacted] and [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

Review: I hired Menarak to pour a stamped patio, porch,driveway and front step,walk and some city walk. This was started in the last week of July/1st week Aug. 2012 in November my concrete surface started to flake. I waited for the winter to pass and in the spring of 2013 the surface was flaking more. It is now Dec. and the flaking has not stopped. This new concrete looks terrible. I contacted Menarak in early spring to have them fix the issue. At that time I was informed that the the company was just starting to getting set up for jobs. She told me that the owners would contact me. Nothing after several calls out of no where and unannounced they stop by and I showed them how bad the concrete was flaking and how the colored stamped patio looked. They talked among themselves and said that they would have to have the concrete company see this. Time went by I gave them far enough time to get back with me and several months later this guy shows up and looks at the concrete. He made comments like salt and one down spout. I informed him that there was no salt on this concrete last year and that the one down spout would have never down that He ask if they sealed the concrete . I told him I was not in town when the concrete was poured and that it would have the proper cure time to drive on it when I came home. I made it clear that there was no more money tp be spent and that it needed to be redone. I showed him the concrete job from the company that built my garage and that still looks great after several year snow. Well the last phone conversation I had with Menarak was that if they stopped doing the contracted work that they would go out of business because the money would not be coming in. Bottom line is that there customer service is really poor and they do not back up there work. I was also informed that there was several other jobs with the same exact problem by the lady who answers the phone over at the office. I feel that more than enough time was given to resolve this issue.Desired Settlement: replace all the bad concrete and repin to existing to prevent lifting at the seams even the slabs that are starting to do the same flaking and repair any damage to my new sod after work is completed. Do not put any wheel barrows or had tool on the existing lawn anywhere. I had to redo my front new sod twice do to the lawn dying off from concrete residue let from all there tools and wheel barrows. I can inform Menarak where the high end sod came from

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted] and the Revdex.com,

Of course we are always concerned when there is the rare occurrence that one of our past customers is unhappy with their concrete job. We always try to resolve the issues of an unsatisfied customer, when possible. Unfortunately there are many variables that are out of our control with outdoor concrete construction. Wisconsin winters are very hard on concrete. Some winters are worse than others. Salt and other ice melting chemicals find there way onto the concrete. Sometimes they are applied by a home owner or these chemicals can drip off of vehicles that where on public roads. Ice melting chemicals greatly accelerate the surface deterioration of recently installed concrete. The older concrete gets, it becomes stronger and more resistant to chemical degradation. That is why older concrete can look better than newer concrete if it did not see salt or chemicals its first few winters.

The redi-mix company we used came out and looked at Mr. [redacted]’s concrete and they believe the Calcium Chloride in Mr. [redacted]’s garage was applied to the concrete to melt ice. They believe that this is the reason of the surface quality in question. That is one of the reasons they will not replace the concrete for free. We can not replace the concrete for free either, because we followed the same high quality practices that we do on all of our other quality installations. We have hundreds of other concrete jobs that were installed in the same manner as Mr. [redacted]’s and they look fine. So our conclusion is that there is some other outside force, “out of our control”, that has changed the surface of the concrete after we installed it. We are sorry, but there is nothing we can do for free. Not to make light of the situation, but all of the concrete we installed is still in a very useable condition, and will be for many years.

Sincerely,

Menarek Stamped Concrete, LLC

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted] and the Revdex.com,

We sincerely do feel bad about complaints. There is no perfect outdoor surface that lasts forever. Many concrete and asphalt projects, public and private, are continually being repaired and replaced after very short time frames because of harsh Wisconsin weather. Some jobs just last longer than others. Concrete is made of Sand, Gravel and Cement that comes out of the ground. Mother nature created these materials millions of years ago, and no two batches of concrete are exactly the same. We follow the best procedures available, usually with great results, but occasionally results vary. Again, we are sorry, but there is nothing we can do for free at this point.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

Review: In June of 2014 I hired Menarek stamped concrete to install a concrete patio in my backyard. After they were done I noticed that the front of the steps had some darker colored patches on them and I was displeased with the appearance. I called them and told them of my concerns and they told me to give it some time and the dark patches would go away. I called them a couple of more times in 2014 and told them that the dark patches were not going away and each time they told me to just wait and give it some time. This past spring of 2015 I called them again and told them the dark patches were still there, they said they would call me back and never did. I called them again a month later and they told me concrete dries like that sometimes and that basically I would just have to live with it because there was nothing they could do about it. I told them I was very dissatisfied and that I wished I had never paid them for the job and they said they would call me back but never did. I don't know what to do at this point I don't like the look of the steps on my patio and I don't want to just live with it, its not what I paid for. Please help me.Desired Settlement: I would like them to either repair the problem to my satisfaction or return the money I paid them for the job.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] and the Revdex.com,

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees on color of regular concrete. Mr. [redacted] did not hire us to do colored concrete nor did he pay for colored concrete. All concrete has variations to the color. Mr. [redacted]’s concrete is not out of the ordinary. Even if he hires someone to remove the steps and pour them again, there will be no guarantees on the color. We are sorry, but there is nothing we can do.

Thank you,

Menarek Stamped Concrete

Business

Response:

We wanted to let the Revdex.com know that on August 12,2015, we lightened the concrete area in question per the homeowner's request. Mr. [redacted] was there and aware of what we were doing.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to comp[redacted]t ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: I hired Menarak to pour a stamped patio, porch, driveway, front step ,walkway and retaining wall. When I hired this company I was informed that they charge a bit more than other contractors because of the high quality of their work. I was assured at the time of hire that this company had done retaining wall construction. I did not want to have to hire two separate contractors for the concrete and retaining wall, so I gave Menarek this job. Within a short time, the concrete surface started to flake and stones came to the surface. Besides the concrete showing stone pops, the retaining wall has now started to lean. This new concrete looks terrible and we can't finish the landscaping of our front yard until the leaning retaining wall gets repaired or replaced.

I contacted Menarak in early spring of 2014 and asked if someone could come out and take a look at what was happening. At that time I was informed that my message would be passed along and someone would be contacting me. I contacted the company several more times over the past 6 months, one phone call per month and/or a visit to their business office in Union Grove, with no return phone call.

Bottom line is that the customer service is really poor and they do not back up there work.. I feel that more than enough time was given to resolve this issue.

Business

Response:

September 3, 2014

This is in response to complaint ID#[redacted]. We did go look at Mr. [redacted]'s job. The concrete looks fine and the retaining wall is leaning because the homeowner assured us that when we finished the retaining wall, he would put gravel and drain tile behind it. He never did.

So it went through a winter with freezing dirt, water and feet of snow pushing on the wall from the back side. That is why the wall is leaning. We did our job correctly.

Thank you, [redacted] Menarek Stamped Concrete

Consumer

Response:

Review: We hired Menarek Stamped Concrete to install our concrete patio (approximately 682 square feet) in our backyard with a finish date of August 14, 2012. This included digging out the existing grass/dirt, pouring the concrete and stamping/adding color.

After the cement was poured, but before Menarek began stamping, it began to rain. When they were done stamping, we were instructed to wait several days before walking on it. For the rest of the season (about a month) we were happy with the patio.

In the Spring of 2013, we noticed many pieces of concrete missing from the patio. The pieces looked like chips or chunks missing. As the season went on, more and more pieces came loose. We called Menarek to report this was occurring. The woman who answered the phone stated there were other customers that were experiencing the same problem. She said they would come out and inspect the patio.

Menarek did come out and look at the patio. They said this happened to other people too, and they had been patching these areas for others. They said there may have been an issue with the actual concrete during that time the previous year, the freeze/thaw from that winter could have caused some pop-outs to occur, or a combination of both. They said that they would patch the concrete for no charge, and they would have their crew get on their hands and knees to patch every little spot they saw. Patching seemed like a reasonable solution, but we did have concerns about the amount of spots to be patched. Patching would work this time, but if it occurred again, then what? Menarek assured us that it would be extremely unlikely for it to occur again, as over time, concrete does not typically continue to pop out. Menarek felt confident the patch job would solve the problem, but if by chance, the same thing continued to occur in the future, they would come right out and fix any little random pop-outs that might occur. Menarek patched the areas.

We did not see the patio during the winter of 2013-14 because we do not use the patio in the winter. As instructed by Menarek, it is best to leave it alone and not shovel, so we follow that recommendation, and do not have a need for using our backyard in the winter. Then, in the Spring of 2014, once the snow was gone, we could see that the same problem had occurred this year as last year. We waited a little while before calling because each day there seemed to be more spots that popped out, especially after it rained. We wanted to wait to have all spots exposed before they came to repair again this year.

We decided we could no longer wait and needed to call and let Menarek know the problem had occurred again since the pieces popping out were consistently appearing. The patches from the previous year were also beginning to become more noticeable and some actually wearing away or chipping again in the same spot. In addition, there are large areas where the color may be peeling off, or it is chipping in such small particles, that it appears to be peeling.

We called Menarek on April 21, 2014 to inform them of the problem. The woman who answered the phone said there were other people with the same complaint. She would take down our information, and they would come out as soon as they were in the Racine area, which should be in the next several weeks.

We called again June 12, 2014. I told the woman who answered that the patio looked really bad. A large chunk had come out (approximately 5 inches by 3 inches.) She stated that she understood my concerns. She still had the note sitting on the desk and had told them about it. She said they have been working on other jobs, but should be on jobs in the Racine area next week and would most likely stop by then, but could not guarantee they would come when we were home.

We called again on June 24, 2014. The woman said that they are busy and are on jobs. There are also other people waiting to have patch jobs done for the same thing. She can only give them the messages and has been reminding them. She said that they definetely would not stop out until after the 4th of July because they are busy. We said we would check back again.

We called again on July 26,, 2014. I stated to the woman that I've been waiting since April. She said that she knows that I have been calling, and she has been giving them the messages and reminding them. She said they are obviously putting other work in front of us, and that's not right, but all she can do is keep reminding them. She said she knows we are getting pretty anxious about it and we should just keep checking back.

We called again on August 4, 2014. The woman said she gave him the note again last week after we called. She told him, “we were getting anxious, well not really anxious, more perturbed.” She again responded that all she can do is keep giving them the messages, and she is sorry.

We completely understand that the spring/summer is a busy time for their company. We would have been happy to have someone just look at it and tell us what they think the problem is, and then the repairs could be done later.

We had told Menarek in April, we would at least like someone to come out and look at the patio and advise us of the next steps, so that we know what to expect. The repairs could happen at the end of the summer. We are concerned because we have not had a response to our concerns. The last count taken on August 4, 2014, showed there were 178 chips, chunks or pop-outs missing from the concrete. This does not include all of the spots from last summer (which were extensive as well). This number also does not include the tiny missing pieces that are not as noticeable as larger ones, or the patches where the color is peeling off or the concrete is chipping off in tiny particles. There continue to be more pieces that appear constantly, especially after it rains.

After reading another complaint, we noticed that our concrete was poured at the same time as the other complaint, which was in August of 2012. In addition, both in 2013 and 2014, Menarek stated that the same thing was happening with other customers concrete as well. They said in 2013 that the concrete could have been an issue. We understand that concrete is expected to have some pop-outs or possible cracking, but the amount is beyond significant. Our driveway, sidewalks and porch were completed 4 years prior (by a different company) and encompass a larger space. The driveway does not have near the amount of pieces missing as the patio. Our porch and sidewalks have essentially no blemishes at all. Since our patio had color added, the missing pieces are white and stand out significantly. I have pictures from 2013 and 2014 if needed. It is now August 14, 2014. We have been waiting four months for a response from Menarek. We are getting nervous because fall/winter is fast-approaching. We look forward to communicating with them and finding a resolution.Desired Settlement: We would like Menarek to come and look at our patio. We are open to solutions, but we are concerned that additional repairs will cause the patio to look like it has been "over-repaired". Considering there has been mention of possible concrete failure/issues, it is important to find the root of the problem. Repairs were done last year, and then if they are done this year, what happens next year? After this year, we will have nearly 300 repaired spots on the surface. Eventually the patio will become a huge patch-job. At this time, the color difference is very noticeable where chips/pop-outs have occurred.

Business

Response:

We are responding to complaint id# [redacted] from [redacted] and [redacted].

Today, August 22, 2014, we repaired and resealed all spots in question.

Thank you, [redacted] Menarek Stamped Concrete

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